Wirebound box closing tool



y 1967 N HORVATH, JR

WIREBOUND BOX CLOSING TOOL Filed July 2, 1964 INVENTOR. I Mbiza/aaf/ormafi, J7:

.HTYUE/VEXSf United States Patent 3,339,389 WIREBOUND BOX CLOSING TOQL Nicholas Horvath, Jtu, Rockaway, N.J., assignor to Stapiing Machines Co., Rockaway, N.J., a corporation of Delaware Filed July 2, 1964, Ser. No. 37%950 3 Claims. (Cl. 140-121) This invention relates to a hand tool for closing the loop fasteners on wirebound boxes (the term boxes being used herein as including crates, barrels and other types of wirebound containers).

In general terms, the invention provides a pliers-type hand tool of simple and relatively economical construction which is easy to operate without extensive training or practice and which is capable of quickly interengaging the loop fasteners at the closing corners of a wirebound box to provide a tight and secure closure.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary isometric view of the closing corner of a wirebound box showing the loop fastener after it has been properly interengaged and secured, for example by the tool of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is an isometric view of an illustrative hand tool embodying features of the present invention.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view of the closing corner of a wirebound box showing the hand tool of FIGURE 2 inserted into position to engage the threaded loops preparatory to the closing operation.

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3, but showing the handles of the tool squeezed together to cause the inner or male loop to be pulled upwardly while the outer or female loop is pushed downwardly around the closing corner of the box.

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURES 3 and 4, but showing the position of the hand tool after clockwise rotation of the handles to complete the loop fastener closing operation.

The hand tool of the present invention is particularly adapted for the closing of loop fasteners of the type which are known in the trade as Rock Fasteners, and which are currently the standard closure for wirebound boxes. Conventional wirebound boxes are formed from blanks comprising a plurality of box sections or sides each formed of face material with reinforcing cleats at the inner faces thereof adjacent the lateral edges of the box blank, with the several sections foldably secured together by binding wires which extend longitudinally of the box blank adjacent its lateral edges, and possibly at intermediate positions as well, with the binding wires being secured to the sections by staples driven astride the binding wires through the face material and into the cleats. At each end of the box blank, each binding wire is bent back upon itself to form a loop, and the end of this loop is bent into a prong which is driven through the face material and clinched over against its under surface to secure the loop. When the box blank is folded around to set up the box, the two loops at the opposite ends of each binding wire come into opposition with one another at the closing corner of the box, and the male loop on the front section of the box, being somewhat narrower than the female loop on the top section or lid of the box, is threaded through the latter, as illustrated in FIGURE 3. In the closure of the box, as illustrated in FIGURE 1, the female loop is bent downwardly around the closing corner of the box and adjacent the front face of the box, and the male loop is bent outwardly and downwardly around the bight of the female loop and finally inwardly adjacent the front face of the box.

An illustrative closing tool embodying features of the present invention is illustrated in FIGURE 2. This tool is generally of the pliers type, having a pair of levers 10 and 12 pivotally connected by a bolt 14. The levers 10 and 12 are respectively provided with handle portions 10a and 12a projecting to one side of the pivot 14, and with flat, blade-like jaw portions 10b and 12b projecting to the opposite side of the pivot 14. A spring 16 is connected between the handle portions 10a and 12a of the levers 10 and 12 and yieldably maintains the handle portions 10a and 12a normally in the relation illustrated in FIGURE 2, in which they are spaced apart for convenient gripping in a mans hand. The levers 10 and 12 are so shaped and arranged that when the handle portions are in this position, the outer ends of the jaw portions 10b and 12b are slightly spaced apart, as shown, and squeezing of the handle portions 10a and 12a causes the jaw portions 10b and 12b to move farther apart, rather than closer together as in the usual pliers arrangement.

The outer end of the jaw portion 12b of the lever 12 is provided with a single notch 12c which is adapted for engagement with the female loop of a threaded pair of loop fasteners. The outer edge of the jaw portion 10b of the other lever 10 is elongated in the plane of pivotal movement of the jaw portion and is provided with a series of notches 190, which is adapted for selective engagement with the male loop of the threaded pair of loop fasteners.

The use of the tool is illustrated in FIGURES 3, 4 and 5. As shown in FIGURE 3, the tool is grasped in one hand and is placed on the top of the container to be closed, with the jaw 12b extending forwardly through the upwardly projecting male loop M, so that the notch at its outer end engages the bight of the female loop F. At the same time, the bight of the male loop M is engaged in the appropriate one of the notches 10c at the outer end of the jaw portion 10b of the lever 10, depending upon the length of the portion of the male loop M which projects above the female loop F.

With the tool thus positioned, the handles are squeezed together tightly as shown in FIGURE 4, which causes the jaw portion 10b of the lever 10 to be rotated in a counterclockwise direction pulling upwardly on the male loop M, while the jaw portion 12b of the lever 12 is rotated in a clockwise direction, pushing downwardly on the female loop F. This pulls the male loop M upwardly through the female loop F as far as possible and brings the mitered ends of the cleats C at the closing corner of the box into tight abutment as shown in FIGURE 4. It also bends the female loop F downwardly around the closing corner of the box to a certain extent, as illustrated in the same figure.

With the handle portions 10a and 12a of the levers 10 and 12 thus tightly held together, the operator then rotates the handles in a clockwise position from the position illustrated in FIGURE 4 to the position illustrated in FIGURE 5. During this clockwise movement, the female loop F is bent downwardly adjacent the front face of the box and the male loop, still under considerable tension, is bent outwardly and downwardly around the bight of the female loop and finally inwardly adjacent the front face of the box, completing the closure of the loop fastener. The operator then releases pressure on the handle portions 19a and 12a of the levers 10 and 12 and removes the tool from the closed loop fastener.

It will thus be seen that the tool is capable of rapid, efficient and effective closure of conventional loop fasteners. It will therefore be appreciated that the aforementioned and other desirable objectives have been achieved. However, it should be emphasized that the particular embodiment of the invention which is described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings is intended as merely illustrative of the principles of the invention rather than as restrictive of the scope thereof, which is limited only by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A hand tool for closing wirebound containers, comprising a pair of levers, pivot means pivotally connecting said levers, handle portions on said levers projecting to one side of said pivot means, jaw portions on said levers projecting to the other side of said pivot means, said levers being generally curved in opposite directions so that when said handle portions are spaced apart for gripping, their respective jaw portions are also spaced apart, and so that squeezing said handle portions together causes said jaw portions to move farther apart, one of said jaw portions projecting further beyond said pivot means than the other so that it can extend through the inner. loop fastener of a threaded pair of loop fasteners at the closing corner of a wirebound container and having at its outer end means for engaging the bight of the outer loop fastener of said pair of loop fasteners, said other jaw portion having at its outer end means for simultaneously engaging the bight of said inner loop fastener, whereby with said jaw portions thus respectively engaging said loop fasteners, squeezing of said handle portions causes said inner loop fastener to be pulled tightly through said outer loop fastener and said outer loop fastener to be pushed in the opposite direction away from the bight of said inner loop fastener, and rotation of said tool while 7 said handle portions are thus squeezed causes said outer loop fastener to be bent down adjacent the face of said container and said inner loop fastener to be bent under tension around said outer loop. fastener and adjacent the same face of said container to secure said container closed.

2. A hand tool as claimed in claim 1 in which said' means for engaging thebights of the loop fasteners consist of notches formed respectively in the outer edges of said jaw portions.

3. A hand tool as claimed in claim 2 in which the outer edge of said other jaw portion is elongated in the plane of pivotal movement of said jaw portion and provided with a plurality of notches spaced, along said outer edge for engaging the bights of inner loop fasteners of different lengths.

' CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner.

RICHARD J. HERBST, Examiner.

E. M. COMBS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A HAND TOOL FOR CLOSING WIREBOUND CONTAINERS, COMPRISING A PAIR OF LEVERS, PIVOT MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING SAID LEVERS, HANDLE PORTIONS ON SAID LEVERS PROJECTING TO ONE SIDE OF SAID PIVOT MEANS, JAW PORTIONS ON SAID LEVERS PROJECTING TO THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID PIVOT MEANS, SAID LEVERS BEING GENERALLY CURVED IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS SO THAT WHEN SAID HANDLE PORTIONS ARE SPACED APART FOR GRIPPING, THEIR RESPECTIVE JAW PORTIONS ARE ALSO SPACED APART, AND SO THAT SQUEEZING SAID HANDLE PORTIONS TOGETHER CAUSES SAID JAW PORTIONS TO MOVE FARTHER APART, ONE OF SAID JAW PORTION PROJECTING FURTHER BEYOND SAID PIVOT MEANS THAN THE OTHER SO THAT IT CAN EXTEND THROUGH THE INNER LOOP FASTENER OF A THREADED PAIR OF LOOP FASTENERS AT THE CLOSING CORNER OF A WIREBOUND CONTAINER AND HAVING AT ITS OUTER END MEANS FOR ENGAGING THE BIGHT OF THE OUTER LOOP FASTENER OF SAID PAIR OF LOOP FASTENERS, SAID OTHER JAW PORTION HAVING AT ITS OUTER END MEANS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY ENGAGING THE BIGHT OF SAID INNER LOOP FASTENER, WHEREBY WITH SAID JAW PORTIONS THUS RESPECTIVELY ENGAGING SAID LOOP FASTENERS, SQUEEZING OF SAID HANDLE PORTIONS CAUSES SAID INNER LOOP FASTENER TO BE PULLED TIGHTLY THROUGH SAID OUTER LOOP FASTENER AND SAID OUTER LOOP FASTENER TO BE PUSHED IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AWAY FROM THE BIGHT OF SAID INNER LOOP FASTENER, AND ROTATION OF SAID TOOL WHILE SAID HANDLE PORTIONS ARE THUS SQUEEZED CAUSES SAID OUTER LOOP FASTENER TO BE BENT DOWN ADJACENT THE FACE OF SAID CONTAINER AND SAID INNER LOOP FASTENER TO BE BENT UNDER TENSION AROUND SAID OUTER LOOP FASTENER AND ADJACENT THE SAME FACE OF SAID CONTAINER TO SECURE SAID CONTAINER CLOSED. 